Coin-controlled vending-machine.



No. 858,931. PATENTED JULY 2, 1907, A. 0. WAY. COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 26,1906.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 1.

INVE/VTUR lfiZZez'i Cf] ay By ATTO H NEYS I WITNESSES:

No. 858,931. v I PATENTED JULY 2, 1907. A. 0. WAY. 00m CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOA'I'ION FILED MAY26,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\ I!llllllmlimmmm mu I 8 W/TNESSES lNVENTOl? Jamel; ail/(Z WW/M66 A TTOHNE YS No. 858,931- PATENTED JULY 2, 1907.

A. 0'. WAY. COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

INVENTOH .flleri 67%;

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES ALBERT o. WAY, OF PERRY CENTER, NEW YORK.

COIN-CONTROLLED vnimnre-r racnmn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed Mav 26,1900. stall No. 818,841.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT C. WAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Perry Center, in the county of Wyoming and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Coin-Controlled Vending-Machine, of which the following is and exactdescription; The purpose ofthe invention is to provide a coincontrolled yending machine especially adapted for delivering towels, a towel being dispensed at the ina full, clear,

troduction ofeach coin into the machine, and to so- 4 construct said machine that while the towels delivered by it can be conveniently used for all legitimate purposes they can not be disconnected from the guide element forming a portion oi the machine a'fter leaving the body of the latter, but wherein the towels when released after having served their purpose are automaticaily conducted to a locked receptacle to be removed therefrom for washing by an authorized person only.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a machine of the characterdescribed which will be simple, durable and economic in construction and free from springs, and which will be automatic in operation after a suitable coin has been deposited and properly located in the coin-receiving section of the machine. I

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a mechanism whereby the coins deposited in the machine during the operation of the machine will be equitably divided inan automatic manner into two or more lots, usually three lots, the coin forv each lot being delivered to independent receptacles to which access can be gained only by key or knowledge of a combination and supposedly only by a person interested in that particular lot, thus providing for an equitable division of the money received in the machine among persons interested in said machine, each person having individual access only to a receptacle containing the lot intended for him.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the I Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine with the cover removed; Fig. 2 is a section taken practically on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the 3-3 of 1; Figs. 4, 5 and I 6 are enlarged sectiops through the peripheral portion view of a towel adapted to the machine.

A represents a casing whichmay be of any shape,

but which is usually rectangular as shown, which casing is permanently closedat the top and at the back, at a portion of its front at the bottom and at both sides, except as. hereinafter mentioned. The interior of the casing A is divided into two compartments a and a! .by means of a partition 10 which extends fromthe top to the bottom of the casing, and a drive shaft 11 extends transversely of the said casing, having its ends mounted to turn in bearings 12, suitably secured to the inner side walls of the casing, and the shaft 11 is located between thecenter of the casing and the front; and between the center of the casing and its back a parallel shaft 13 is mounted to turn, and this shaft is mounted in adjustable bearings'14 secured to the inner side walls of the casing. The drive shaft 11, within the compartment (1 is provided with a sprocket wheel 15, which is firmly attached to the shaft, as is shown in Fig. 3, and the shaft 13 carries a corresponding wheel 16'. An endless chain belt 17 is passed over thetwo wheels 15 and 16, the links of which chain have outwardly-extending fingers 18 which are at rightangles to the links, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

These fingers 18 are an equal distance apart, and are for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

An arm 19 is located below and parallel with the lower stretch of the endless chain belt 17. This arm 19, at its inner end is attached to or forms a portion oi'the bracket 20, which engages with the rear wall of the compartment a, and said bracket is provided with a slot 21, and a bolt 22 is passed through the casing and the slot in the bracket, being provided with a wing nut Y 23 .or its equivalent at the inner end of the bolt, where-;

with the bottom of the casing. In arranging the towels 25 on the arm 19 a finger 18 from the links of the lower stretch of the endless belt 17 is made to lie between the eyelets 26 of opposing towels, as is clearly shown in Fig.

3, so that as the belt 17 is revolved the foremost fingers of the lower stretch of the belt 17 will carry the foremost 'towel 25 from off its supporting arm 19. Preferably theeyelets-26 are placed at each end of a towel to render it reversible.

A guide arm or element B is used in connection with v the forward end of the towel supporting'arrn lil. i- This guide arm or element B consists of an-upper rigi'dsec tion 27, w 'ich is removably attached to the forward end ward at an inclination and out through the bottom portion of an opening 24 in the lower front portion of the casing, which opening 24 remains normally unclosed, and where the inclined rigid section of the guide arm or element B. passes out from said opening 24 it is bent upon itself andcarried rearward beneath the casing,

and is attached to a flexible section 29, and this flexible section 29 is given a downward as well as a rearward inclinati'on and is usually attached at its rear end to a rigid section 30, which section is carried into a locked receptacle, not shown, adapted to receive the towels after they have been used, and from which receptacle clined section 27,0f the guide arm or element B, and

, fastened to the said. shaft, and adjacent to a side of the the towels are removed only when they are to be washed. But the flexible section 29 may be continued to the aforesaid receiving receptacle.

It will be observed that when a towehis removed from its supporting arm 19 slides down the rigid inwhen it reaches the lower portion of said section 27 the towel will lie flat upon the bottom of the casing as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the user by introducing the hand into the opening 24' may withdraw the delivered towel from within the casing, and turning it to the front the eyelet 26 will slide down from the rigid upper section 27 of the guide arm on to the flexible section 29, and the flexibility of the said section 29 is sufficient to permit a convenient use of the towel for legitimate purposes. As soon as the towel i's released it will slide down the section 29 to the receiving receptacle above referred to. I

The drive shaft 11 is turned through the medium Of a coin-receiving wheel C of desired diameter, located in the compartment (1, the said wheel being securely said wheel a ratchet wheel 31 is secured to the shaft by a set screw 32 or its equivalent. The teeth of this ratchet wheel are engaged, by a tooth 33 carried by a pawl 34 secured to the front wall of the casing as is best shown in Fig. 2;'and the tooth 33 is held constantly -in' engagement with the teeth of the-ratchet wheel 31 {ShOlllCl turn only in direction of the rear of the machine. This coin-receiving Wheel 0 is provided with a central peripheral groove 38, and the peripheral portion of the said wheel 0 is further provided with coinreeeiving pockets which are in repeated groups of two or more, preferably three, as illustrated. Each group consists of a pocket 39, a pocket 40 and a pocket 41, the pocket 40 being the intermediate pocket of a group. As is shown in Fig. 5 the intermediate pocket 40 of a group is provided with a concaved bottom 42, and consequently this pocket is of thesame depth at each side of the wheel. The pocket 39 is provided also with a concaved bottom 43, but the said bottom 43 has a decided downward inclination in direction of the righthand side of the wheel 0, so that this pocket 39 is of much greater depth at the right-hand side of the wheel than at the left. The pocket 41 is just the reverse of the pocket 39 and its bottom 44 is concaved and has a decided inclination in direction of the lefthand side of the wheel, so that the left-hand side of a pocket 41 is much deeper than its right-hand side. Consequently if a coin is deposited in a pocket 40 the coin will remain in said pocket until the pocket is practically inverted, and then the coin willdrop out from said pocket in direction of the rotation of the wheel; whereas, if a coin is deposited in a pocket 39, as the wheel rotates and the coin is released at the right-hand side of the wheel the coin would naturally roll out from the pocket 39 at the right-hand face of the wheel; in the same manner, it a coin is deposited in a pocket 41 and is not protected at the left-hand side of the wheel, the coin would naturally roll out from the pocket at that side of the wheel.

The pockets in the coin-receiving wheel 0 are an equal distance apart, and the forward wall of each pocket at its outer end is more or less outwardly inclined as is shown at 45 in Fig. 2, so as to facilitate the ready entrance of a coin to the bottom portion of a pocket; and it may be here stated; that the numbesof teeth in the ratchet wheel 31 corresponds to the numher of pockets in the coin-receiving wheel C, and in the operation of said wheel the wheel is moved at each time a distance equivalent to the distance between adjoining pockets, and at such movement of the wheel the teeth 33 of the pawl 34 will move from one tooth in the ratchet wheel 31 to an adjoining tooth, and thus lock the wheel 0 in position for the proper discharge of the deposited coin from the wheel, and to bring another pocket immediately below the .coin slot 46. which is produced in the top portion of the casing A, and this coin slot 46 is surrounded by an outer plate 47, and a sleeve 48 extends down from said coin slot 46, so as to insure the direct passage of the coin to the pocket in the wheel C presented to receive it.

The coin-receiving wheel C is moved the distance of the space between opposing teeth at each inward movement of a plunger 49, the inner end of which plunger at such time is brought into engagement with the coin 52 just deposited in the pocket beneath the coin slot 46. The plunger 49 is entered through an opening in the upper front portion of the casing A, the opening being protected at the front and at the rear by suitable plates 50 and 51, and the inner end of the plunger 49 is moved or has movement in the peripheral slot 38 of the coinreceiving wheel C, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in the following manner:

A weight 53 is mounted to slide in the casing 54 secured to the inner face of the front end portion of the casing A, and a chain 55 is secured to this weight, which chain is carried over a pulley 56 above the cylinder, and is attached to a ring 57 or its equivalent loosely passed through the plunger 49 as best shown in Fig. 2. Thus it will be observed that no springs are employed in the construction of the machine.

At the upper central portion of the coin-receiving wheel C two opposing guide plates 58 and 59 are located, one at each side of the wheel, and these guide plates extend from a point forward of the coin-receiving slot 46 to a point to the rear of the same, which plates are best shown in 1. These plates form extensions of the upper end of a chute 60, which chute follows the peripheral portion of the wheel G, extending down at both sides thereof in a forward direction, and when thesaid chute 69 leaves the wheel C itis closed except at its outer end. The said chute 60 is held in position by an or receptacle 72 as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

upper brace 61, attached to its upper portion and to the left-hand side wall of the casing, and a lower brace 62 likewise secured to the left-hand wall of the casing. The lower or delivery end of the chute is over a drawer orreceptacle 63 as is shown in Fig. 2. This chute 60 is adapted to receive the coins which are placed in the pockets 40, since as the wheel is revolved by the action of the plunger 49 and the coin just entered, all of the coins in the pockets 40 when said pockets are practically inverted, drop from said pockets 40 into the chute 60 and fall into the aforesaid drawer or receptacle 63.

A second chute 64 is located at the left-hand side of the wheel C, and its upper end is connected with the guide plate 58, whiclrplate has an opening 65 therein communicating with the upper portion of said chute 64.: This chute 64 is carried downwardly and usually forwardly as is shown in'Fig. 2, thearm 35'attached to the pawl. 34 being bent to admit of such passage. This chute 64 is closed on all sides, being open at the top and bottom only, and is braced by plates or bars 66, secured to its upper portion and to the left-hand wall of the casing-A, and by a'lower brace 67 also secured to the left-hand wall of the casing. The lower or delivery end: of the chute 64 is immediately over areceptacle or drawer 68, as is shown also in Fig. 2.

When a coin is received in a pocket 41 and the wheel C is turned rearwardly the distance between opposing pockets, the coin will roll from the left-hand end of the pocket, will be received in the chute 64 and will be conducted to the drawer or receptacle 68. A third chute 69 is also employed. This chute is located at the right-hand side of the coin-receiving wheel 0, and

is connected at its upper portion with the right-hand guide plates 59, which latter plates have an opening therein leading into the upper portion of the chute 69,

corresponding to the opening 65 which leads into the chute 64. The chute 69 is shown as being carried downwardly and rearwardly, and this chute is also closed except at its top and at its bottom, and as shown is held in position by an upper brace 70 secured to the partition 10, and a lower brace 71 which is secured to the left-hand side of the casing A. The lower or delivery end-oi the chute 69 is immediately over a drawer The outer ends of the drawersor receptacles 63, 68 and 72 are without the left-hand side of the casing, and

.each of these drawers is locked by a different key,v so

that each drawer is accessible only to an individual holding the special key to the drawer.

When a coin is placed in a pocket 39 and the wheel 0 is revolved by the plunger 49, the coin will roll out of the pocket 39 and will find its way into the chute 69 and from thence into the receptacle 72.

The compartment a containing the towels is rendered accessible by producing .a door, preferably a drop door into the right-handside of the casing, the hinges (1 of whiclzi door are shown in Fig. 1.

In the general operation of .the machine, when a coin is dropped into a pocket of the receiving wheel 0, the

the said coin, thereby turning the wheel a proper distance to bring the coin opposite the upper receiving ends of the chutes 60, 64 and 69, and if the coin is in a pocket 39 it will roll out at the right-hand side of the wheel into the chute 69; if the coin is in the pocket 41 it will roll outat the left-hand side of the machine into the chute 64, audit the coin is in a pocket 40 it will be carried down by the 'wheel into the chute 60 when dropped by the saidpocket. In-this manner there is an equitable distribution of the coin and this distribution takes place simultaneously with, the immediate,

operation of the machine. As the wheel 0 revolves the endless distributing chain 17 is revolved and the towels 25 on the supporting arm 19 are moved forward, and at each movement of said wheel the foremost towel 25 is carried from its supporting bar 19, travels down the inclined section 27- of the guide arm or element B, and drops to the bottom of the casing, as is shown in Fig. 3, from which the towel may be drawn,

I but the towel is still around the guide arm or element distribution of the coin relatively to the numberjofparts or lots desired is automatically and accurately accomplished.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In coin-controlled vending machines, a coin-receiving wheel. a device for intermittently operating the coin-receiving wheel through the mediurn of a received coin, a merchandise distributing mechanism operated by the wheel, and means lncojnnection with the wheel for dividing the coins intoaplurality of lots. I

2. In'coin-controlled vending machines, a coin-receiving wheel provided with groups of pockets, each. constructed for delivery in a different direction, a device Ior iutermlttently turning the wheel a certain distance at each operation, a merchandise distributing mechanism operated ated by the said wheel.

4. In,a coin con'trolied vending' machine, means for receiving the coins, means in connection withthe receiving means for dividing the coins into a plurality of lots,

means for operating the receiving means, and'ii men chandlse dispenslng'mechanlsm operated from and simu ltaneously with'the coin receiver and the dlvlding'm'eans.

5. In a coin operated vending machine, a coin receiving wheel having peripheral pockets for the receptl'onot coin," sundry of said pockets having" side outlets andothers'a peripheral outlet. I

6. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a coin re c eiv- .1ng wheel having peripheral pocketsarranged in groups,

each group of pockets comprising a pocket having a deliv-' ery at one side of..the wheel, a pocket having a. delivery at the opposite side of the wheel and a pocket having a delivery at the peripheral portion of the wheel, means for turning said wheel, and an independent coin-conducting chute for each representative pocket of a group, which chutes receive the coin from the pockets of the wheel as the said wheel revolves.

8. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a coin receiving wheel having peripheral pockets arranged in groups, each group of pockets comprising a pocket having a delivery at one side of the wheel, a pocket having a delivery at the opposite side of the Wheel and a pocket having a delivery at,the peripheral portion of the wheel, means for turning said wheel, an independent coin-conducting chute for each representative pocket of a group, which chutes receive the coin from the pockets of the wheel as the said wheel revolves, and a pawl and rachet mechanism for regulating the extent of the revolution of the wheel and for locking the wheelwhen said limit is reached.

9. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a coin receiving and dispensing wheel having a series of pockets arranged in groups, one pocket of a group having an inclination at its bottom in direction or one side of the wheel, another pocket of a group having an inclination at its bottom in direction of the opposite side of the wheel, and av third pocket of :1 group having a concaved transverse bottom portion.

10. In a coin-controlled vending machine, a casing, a coinreceiving and dispensing wheel mounted to turn in said casing, a shaft on which the said wheel is mounted, the wheel being provided with peripheral pockets arranged at equal distances apart, the pockets being in groups, one pocket of each group having a discharge opening at one side of the wheel, another pockct having' a peripheral discharge opening and a third pocket having a discharge opening at the opposite side of the wheel, a plunger operntively mounted in the casing. one end of which has movement over the peripheral portion of said wheel. means for returning a plunger to its normal position, a ratchet wheel secured to the shaft of the coin rccciving and distributing wheel, the teeth on the rnchct wheel corresponding to the number of pockets in the coin receiving and distributing wheel. and a pawl normally in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, for the purposes set forth.

11. In uoixH-ontrolled vending machincs. a coin receiving wheel provided with groups of pockets, cnch con structed for delivery in a diiferent direction. a device for intermittently turning the wheel a certain distance at. each operation, a merchandise distributing mechanism operated by the wheel, independent coin-distriinlting clinics arranged one to receive coin from each representative pocket of a group oi pockets on the wheel, and independent receivers for the coins at the discharge ends of the said chutes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witncsscs.

ALBl'lIt'l (7. WAY.

Witnesses 2 itonnn'r A. Cornmxn, Fnsn. Knnrr. 

